WHY MILLENNIALS ARE MORE PRONE TO PHOTO-AGEING

Tuesday 26th June 2018

A lot has been written and said about the generation Y, aka the Millennials. Born between early 80s to 2000, millennials are the generation that has grown up using cutting edge technology with the world at their fingertips.

They’re scrolling, taking selfies, “trolling”, and a whole bunch of new vocabulary terms. As a matter of fact, “selfitis” -the obsessive need to post selfies- was introduced by psychologists as a legit mental disorder.

Also, “nomophobia”’ the fear of losing your mobile phone, is a thing, and the recent statistics suggest that people check their phone at least 157 times a day. Such statistics can give a good perspective about this generation’s tech addiction.

Photo-ageing: Blue light gives the green light

We all know that staring too many hours at our screens, whether these may be laptops, our TV or our smartphone, is definitely no good for us.

But, there’s more.

There’s the blue light also known as HEV (High-energy Visible Light).

In particular, blue light destroys the cells of the epidermis by altering their DNA. In addition, it damages the skin barrier, making it difficult to hold the necessary moisture and leading the skin to dehydration, making it vulnerable to environmental attacks and unable to recover after exposure to blue light. This could lead to premature wrinkles and age spots as research has shown that blue light creates more intense hyperpigmentation than UVB radiation on the skin. You can now get a grasp of why Millennials are threatened by premature ageing.

Reverse the blue light ageing

1. Our sunscreens are not meant to be an only outside regimen. If you spend a significant chunk of your day staring at any sort of screen (as most of us do), or staying indoors, where there isn’t enough natural light, do not skip your daily sunscreen. Choose a sunscreen that is broad spectrum and will also protect you from the HEV light as well as UVA & UVB.

Where you’re seated in the office may also affect your exposure to the harming effects of light. Ideally, sitting away from windows will protect your skin from exposure to sunlight, and your skin won’t be overly burdened. If you have this option, pick your seat to be away from the window.

3. A small pot of ivy, lily, chrysanthemum, gerbera next to your computer will be an excellent decoration choice for your office and the best “neutralizing” of the electromagnetic radiation present in the room, since these plants recycle the air and absorb pollutants of any kind.

The less psychological stress, the less oxidative stress-that is notorious for causing premature ageing of the skin. Try to relax by closing your eyes and counting as many ice cream flavors as you can within 10 seconds. According to the experts, these images calm us down, creating a feeling of nostalgia and relief.

Sleep can do wonders on your skin. 8 hours of sleep, nourish and restore your skin. Watching Netflix until 2 am can, robs us from the easiest source of anti-ageing regimen. Try sleeping around 11pm, the latest, if you’re normally get up around 8 and try being consistent on it.

Millennials should be willing to enjoy the benefits of technology without its nasty side effects!